Community church holds annual Kwanzaa program

Cultural holiday kicked off at Bailey Tabernacle CME

The kinara is lit, representing the seven principles of Kwanzaa, during the National Pan-Hellenic Council of Tuscaloosa County’s Kwanzaa celebration at Bailey Tabernacle CME church in Tuscaloosa on Friday.

Dusty Compton | The Tuscaloosa News

By Jamon SmithStaff Writer

Published: Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, December 28, 2012 at 11:03 p.m.

TUSCALOOSA | Ice-cold rain may have reduced the number of people attending the Kwanzaa program at Bailey Tabernacle CME Church on Friday, but the inclement weather didn’t shut it down.

About 100 people came to the annual event — down from about 300 last year. They were dressed in African clothing and they carried in pots filled with traditional African and black American food.

With permission to start being granted by the church’s elders — an African custom — the celebration kicked off with songs, prayer, storytelling, the meaning of Kwanzaa and a feast.

Kwanzaa, which means “first fruits” in Swahili, is a weeklong interfaith, cultural holiday created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a professor and chairman of black studies at California State University in Long Beach, Calif. According to the official Kwanzaa website, Karenga created Kwanzaa because he wanted to give black Americans the opportunity to celebrate their own history and culture rather than only celebrating existing mainstream holidays.

Kwanzaa began on Dec. 26 and ends Tuesday. On each of the seven days of Kwanzaa, a candle is lit and one of its seven principles is meditated on.

The seven principles and their meanings are:

- Umoja — unity.

- Kujichaguila — self-­determination.

- Ujima — collective work and responsibility.

- Ujamaa — cooperative economics.

- Nia — purpose.

- Kuumba — creativity.

- Imani — faith.

At Bailey’s, a member from seven of the nine black intercollegiate Greek letter fraternities and sororities talked about what each of the principles meant to them.

The keynote speaker at the celebration was Kenyan native Kagendo Mutua McHargh. McHargh said Kwanzaa isn’t celebrated as a holiday in Africa. She said its principles are lived 365 days a year.

“It’s easy to come together and celebrate Kwanzaa in seven days, but what about the other 358 days?” McHargh said. “What about the times when no one is watching?”

McHargh said people need to become a village and help each other by giving what they can. She said there is infinite power that people can harness when they bless others by giving monetarily or with time.

“One resource we all have is time,” she said. “We all have 24 hours. Doing these things without an audience is really the test of Kwanzaa.”

The church’s pastor, the Rev. Willie Clyde Jones, closed the celebration with a reminder of the challenges black Americans face today and a request that people examine themselves and do for others.

“We are living in some terrible times as a people,” Jones said. “I never heard of a president as disrespected as ours. What Kwanzaa means to me is it’s time for us to re-examine ourselves.”

Jones said those who “have the nerve to think they’ve made it” need to remember that someone helped them along the way. He said black people need to come together and help each other no matter how successful or downtrodden they get.

“What happens to our people when we go astray?” he said. “Jesus said what you do for the least of these you do for me. Some of the villages are broken. We can’t give up on our children.”

Jones thanked local civil rights attorney Sue Thompson for introducing Kwanzaa to Bailey Tabernacle more than 20 years ago.

<p>TUSCALOOSA | Ice-cold rain may have reduced the number of people attending the Kwanzaa program at Bailey Tabernacle CME Church on Friday, but the inclement weather didn't shut it down.</p><p>About 100 people came to the annual event — down from about 300 last year. They were dressed in African clothing and they carried in pots filled with traditional African and black American food.</p><p>With permission to start being granted by the church's elders — an African custom — the celebration kicked off with songs, prayer, storytelling, the meaning of Kwanzaa and a feast.</p><p>Kwanzaa, which means “first fruits” in Swahili, is a weeklong interfaith, cultural holiday created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a professor and chairman of black studies at California State University in Long Beach, Calif. According to the official Kwanzaa website, Karenga created Kwanzaa because he wanted to give black Americans the opportunity to celebrate their own history and culture rather than only celebrating existing mainstream holidays.</p><p>Kwanzaa began on Dec. 26 and ends Tuesday. On each of the seven days of Kwanzaa, a candle is lit and one of its seven principles is meditated on.</p><p>The seven principles and their meanings are:</p><p><b>-</b> Umoja — unity.</p><p><b>-</b> Kujichaguila — self-­determination.</p><p><b>-</b> Ujima — collective work and responsibility.</p><p><b>-</b> Ujamaa — cooperative economics.</p><p><b>-</b> Nia — purpose.</p><p><b>-</b> Kuumba — creativity.</p><p><b>-</b> Imani — faith.</p><p>At Bailey's, a member from seven of the nine black intercollegiate Greek letter fraternities and sororities talked about what each of the principles meant to them.</p><p>The keynote speaker at the celebration was Kenyan native Kagendo Mutua McHargh. McHargh said Kwanzaa isn't celebrated as a holiday in Africa. She said its principles are lived 365 days a year.</p><p>“It's easy to come together and celebrate Kwanzaa in seven days, but what about the other 358 days?” McHargh said. “What about the times when no one is watching?”</p><p>McHargh said people need to become a village and help each other by giving what they can. She said there is infinite power that people can harness when they bless others by giving monetarily or with time.</p><p>“One resource we all have is time,” she said. “We all have 24 hours. Doing these things without an audience is really the test of Kwanzaa.”</p><p>The church's pastor, the Rev. Willie Clyde Jones, closed the celebration with a reminder of the challenges black Americans face today and a request that people examine themselves and do for others.</p><p>“We are living in some terrible times as a people,” Jones said. “I never heard of a president as disrespected as ours. What Kwanzaa means to me is it's time for us to re-examine ourselves.”</p><p>Jones said those who “have the nerve to think they've made it” need to remember that someone helped them along the way. He said black people need to come together and help each other no matter how successful or downtrodden they get.</p><p>“What happens to our people when we go astray?” he said. “Jesus said what you do for the least of these you do for me. Some of the villages are broken. We can't give up on our children.”</p><p>Jones thanked local civil rights attorney Sue Thompson for introducing Kwanzaa to Bailey Tabernacle more than 20 years ago.</p><p>Reach Jamon Smith at jamon.smith@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0204.</p>